False Sunsets
by Salty Q
Summary: Last shot of "Holywood Babylon". Our boys walking away from the camera towards a fake sunset. Unknown heroes fighting a battle that most will never know and facing the harsh reality that riding into the sunset is something they were never destined to do.


The last shot of "Hollywood Babylon" has always been one of my favorite moments of the series. I've simply written what may have been going through Sam's mind at the surreal imagery of walking towards a fake sunset after a victory against evil.

**False Sunsets**

The entire deal had been laughable and Dean's willingness to not only participate in, but enjoy, the entire realm of show business was inexplicably amusing. Sam glanced to his brother, who was working his way through another mini philly cheese steak sandwich, and couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Shoving his hands deep down into his pockets, Sam turned his eyes ahead and nearly scoffed out loud. A prop canvas used by production companies to simulate a beautiful sunset lay ahead of them. A gigantic symbol of an ending that the brother's would never know—could never hope for—a triumphant ride into the sunset. Sam used to hope for that. At one point, Dean had almost convinced him that they would have it some day.

Show business is a funny thing. At first Sam had denied it, rejected it and scorned it, but now it seemed more accurate than he'd given it credit for. The good guys finished last, the bad guys got the dough and everyone else was up for grabs. It was a dire truth; one that broke his heart, but what he'd seen in the last year and a half had convinced him of that.

A smile that was very unlike him covered Sam's face as they neared the large 'sunset' canvas. It was utterly stunning in its reality. He took a moment to take in the colors—orange on top of yellow, gray and red faded in.

They were hunters. Hunters doomed to a very sad ending, no doubt, but here, in the midst of all of the rules, fighting and showmanship, there was something else to be cherished.

Sam gazed at the canvas of the sunset and tried to capture it in his mind. He sighed heavily and quickly regrouped himself, knowing that his big brother would be watching and curious. Yet as Sam looked towards Dean, he saw the same look that must have been displayed on his own face—a look of suppressed elation.

Sam took this last moment to focus once more on the canvas, which had now started to move, and took it in. Walking towards a painted canvas, full of illusions and lies, was as close as the Winchester boys would ever get to riding righteously off into the sunset. Sam hated and loved the idea at the same time, wishing to be the cliché hero, while appreciating the fact that they did not qualify.

The idea of walking into the sunset was so unsettling, that Sam almost felt a sense of precognition. This was the only sort of 'movie ending' they would ever experience. He cocked his head to the side and glanced at Dean, again almost voicing the strange feeling only to see that Dean's face displayed his knowledge of everything Sam had just felt.

Sam opened his mouth, nearly betraying the brotherly code of 'never mentioning anything that induces an unnecessary brotherly moment', but stopped himself short when he saw that Dean was onto him. Dean's mouth twitched into a familiar smirk as his eyebrows sparked up for a flash of a second—just long enough to let Sam know all that he needed to know.

In that moment, Sam knew that both brothers understood the harsh truth. Their life was reality—not some game, trick or dramatization. The consequences were real and there was never a sunset waiting to embrace its heroes.

A happy ending was almost certainly not in the cards for the Winchesters, but it was a spot up from not knowing. Many times Sam had envied the people who knew nothing of the evil and danger surrounding them; people who went about a normal life, happy and unknowingly ignorant. Sam had wrestled the idea within his heart many times, but there was only one path for people like them and they had no choice but to follow it. Not because of desire or a sense of obligation, but because it was right. He'd much rather understand the battle and lose, than never know of the battle at all.

**Author's Note** Thanks so much for reading! All comments, suggestions and opinions are much appreciated--don't be shy! Leave a review and let me know what you think! : ) Thanks again!


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